Time for police to reclaim the streets

When, just a few years ago, Tony Blair suggested that drunks caught being violent or rowdy in public should be marched to the nearest cashpoint and made to pay a spot fine, he was rightly ridiculed.

It was an impractical idea which was swiftly dropped, but it illustrated the desperation of politicians to tackle anti-social behaviour, a curse which blights the lives of far too many decent people.

Labour, with its ultimately failed system of Asbos, never managed to get to grips with the problem, so now it is the turn of the Coalition to try.

Tackling youth crime: Theresa May's suggestion that ill-behaved youths have their iPods confiscated may be well-intentioned but it has all the hallmarks of a gimmick (picture posed by models)

Unfortunately, Home Secretary Theresa May now seems to be having her own Tony Blair moment, in suggesting that louts could soon have their iPods, stereos and other gadgets seized if they consistently refuse to behave.

It is doubtless well-intentioned but it has all the hallmarks of a gimmick which would have, at best, a marginal effect.

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Isn’t the way to tackle anti-social behaviour for more police to get out and reclaim the streets from these louts? And for the courts to start handing out proper sentences for street crime, assault, vandalism and threatening behaviour.

Make no mistake, until they do, no amount of fiddling with the discredited Asbo system will make a blind bit of difference.

Culture clash

In warning that the doctrine of multiculturalism has encouraged the segregation of ethnic minority communities and created a breeding ground for radicalism, the Prime Minster was echoing the views of the vast majority of ordinary British people.

So his pledge that public funds will no longer be handed out to Islamist groups unless they can show they are actively trying to tackle extremism is long overdue and will have been widely applauded.

How depressing then, that his sincere attempt to promote social harmony has led cynical Labour MPs and activists within the bloated race relations industry to smear him with the charge of racism.

Applauded: David Cameron has pledged that public funds will no longer be handed out to Islamist groups

Sadiq Khan, shadow justice secretary, even accused Mr Cameron of ‘writing propaganda’ for the odious ultra-right English Defence League - a charge as ludicrous as it is disgraceful.

Of course most Muslims are law-abiding people but the 7/7 bombings taught us in the starkest way that there is a small but dangerous minority which detests Britain and its values and is prepared to give vent to its hatred by murdering and maiming innocent people.

To prevent this happening again, all Muslim leaders ought to promote integration and shared national identity, and repudiate extremism in all its forms.

Yes, Muslims should preserve their cultural heritage. But anyone choosing to live in our liberal democracy must embrace the values we cherish - such as religious tolerance and sex equality.

And Labour, instead of resorting to gutter smear tactics, should recognise that their slavish support for multiculturalism was a terrible mistake and back Mr Cameron in his efforts to repair the damage.

Auntie’s gone mad

AS the UK’s national broadcaster, the BBC should have studios around the country and, where sensible, regionalise its programme making.

But moving production of Question Time, which relies on Westminster for most of its guests, to Glasgow and even the Chelsea Flower Show to Birmingham is, quite simply, an absurd - and monstrously expensive - bow to political correctness.What next?